Communion: Poems 1976-1998Poetry. African American Studies. COMMUNION combines new poems with three out-of-print books that display St. John's mastery of both the brief lyric and longer narrative, such as his acclaimed epic poem Dreamer. In his highly inventive poetic exploration of slavery -- revised and republished here -- his subject is John Newton, the sea captain and slave trader who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. As St. John has noted elsewhere, I am interested in how people survive the physical and ideological violence intended to subdue and destroy them. In my work I try to be as comfortable with anger as I am with tenderness. One of the five artists who inaugurated the NEA'S Poets in the Schools program, St. John has received wide recognition for his poetry, including a reading on National Public Radio, an Oregon Book Award for Poetry, and a nomination for the American Book Award. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - whitewavedarling - LibraryThingWhile I enjoyed Primus St. John's language throughout this collection, I often felt that the meaning got lost or put aside in favor of language play and rhythm. Thus, while I enjoyed much of the ... Read full review
Contents
New Skin and Settled for America | 18 |
ii | 22 |
Water Can Only Wrap Me but Life Must | 25 |
Indeed | 31 |
Tysons Corner | 39 |
Looking at a Bus Stop | 45 |
iv | 46 |
The Morning Star | 52 |
Lyric 7 | 81 |
vi | 96 |
communion | 98 |
vii | 103 |
Dreamer | 125 |
iii | 151 |
i | 180 |
communion | 208 |
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Common terms and phrases
afraid baby beautiful become believe bird can sing birds Black songs blood breast breath cat’s tongue Charlemagne cold color communion communion Lyric consolation Copper Canyon Press curse of Ham dance dark Dear death deep Dreadlocks dream dreamer dress earth empire Of passionate everything eyes face father feel fire fish flowers gone Grandma grass hair hands happen hear heart hold hurt John Newton kiss Knotty dread Lemon Verbena light live look lovers maan married moon morning mother mouth night Olaudah Equiano Olorun poem rain Rasta river seen my boy ship silence Sing skins slaves sleep smell soft song soul Spider-Man stars stone storm story strange sweet talk things thought Tonight trees turn understand walk wind window Wolof woman wood Yellow Sweet Clover Yes Sir Yoruba
Bibliographic information
| Title | Communion: Poems 1976-1998 |
| Author | Primus St. John |
| Publisher | Copper Canyon Press, 1999 |
| ISBN | 155659125X, 9781556591259 |
| Length | 233 pages |
| Subjects | › › Poetry / American / General Social Science / Ethnic Studies / African American Studies |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |